MONCTON, Canada – Several rising Caribbean stars are expected to come of age at the World Junior Championships (WJC), which opened yesterday.As always, the Jamaicans will be expected to lead the English-speaking Caribbean charge at the Championships, but this time, there are a few others which could turn the spotlight on themselves and their nations.Kirani James of Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jehue Gordon look like favourites for the flat 400 metres, and the 400 hurdles, respectively, on the boys’ side.James is now enrolled at the University of Alabama in the United States, and captured this year’s NCAA Division 1 title with a lifetime best of 45.01 seconds.He followed up his WJC silver medal two years ago, with a World Youth Championship gold medal over American Josh Mance, one of his opponents at this meet.Gordon is the raging hot favourite in the 400 hurdles, and the man identified to break the American dominance in the event.The 18-year-old has already made a name for himself on the international senior circuit, having taken fourth place in the World Championships last year in Berlin.He has constantly clocked sub-49 seconds, and once he remains fit and focussed, he will be hard to beat.Defending WJC 100 champion Dexter Lee of Jamaica returns with a huge reputation, but his path to a gold medal will not be easy.Waiting in the wings to put a damper on Jamaica’s new-found reputation of being the sprint capital of the World is the fast-rising Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut.Season’s bestHe and Lee both enter the championships with a season’s best time of 10.16, while South Korea’s Gook-Young Kim, and Americans Charles Silmon and Michael Granger are not too far behind.On the girls’ side, the strong contenders look a little thin, but Chantel Malone looks a good bet for the 400, with the second fastest time of the year of 52.35, and could also come into the picture in the long jump.They will all have to run to beat Nigeria’s Etim however, since her PB is more than one second faster that Malone’s.In the long jump, Malone has leapt close to 6.50 metres this year, and if she could sustain this form, she should be in the top echelons.The athletes should find Moncton quite intriguing. It’s the fastest growing metropolitan area in Atlantic Canada, and one of the fastest growing areas in Canada.It’s described as a city on the rise, where a visitor will find attractions, fine dining, World-class music, and rich heritage that seeps onto the streets, and fills the heart. (CMC)
